The ladle metallurgy furnace (“LMF”) is an additional steel refining step that is used to heat, mix, and refine molten material using alloys and additives mixed with the molten material. Among a number of other components, LMFs include a ladle (which is typically a refractory lined steel vessel that holds molten material for refining), electrodes for providing heat to the molten material, and a roof that sits over the ladle during the refining process. The roof of an LMF maintains heat in the ladle during the refining process and also further assists in directing off gases generated from the refining process out and away from the furnace. The roof further serves to contain the molten material and slag, which are impurities formed on the top layer of the molten material, within the ladle. During the refining process, the molten material and slag tend to splash as a result of the turbulent action generated by the electrodes applying energy to the molten material.
In order to protect the underside of the LMF roof from the splash of molten material, some LMF roofs have been constructed with steel and lined with refractory. Water cooled components constructed principally from carbon steel pipe or tubing applied to the underside of the roof have also been provided as an alternative to refractory lined equipment. With the use of pipe and/or tubing, however, slag has a tendency to adhere to the exposed pipes or multiple welding joints, cracks, and crevices that are present on and between the pipes when it splashes and makes contact with the inside surface of the LMF roof. Additional slag will “stick” to the adhered slag resulting in the growth of stalactite-type slag structures. Over time this adhered slag will cause excess weight to the LMF roof and/or may fall into the molten material during refining, thereby, contaminating the refined material.